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It's Ten O'Clock: Do You Know Where Your Avenues Are?

By
Industry Observer
  • This blog was inspired by Janet Guilbault who asked me to check out some condos on 22nd Ave. At the time, I thought to myself, "22nd Ave. is not on my radar," but I didn't think much more about it until I went to look at the condos. Right away, I realized there was no 22nd Ave. I have no idea what happened to it. There is 21st Ave., Coastland, and then Corcoran lagoon and 23rd Ave. No 22nd Ave. I knew there were other streets "missing" in Santa Cruz, so I decided to chronicle them. This is what I found:

 

  • There are streets and avenues in Santa Cruz. It all begins with 1st, 2nd & 3rd Streets, which are pretty much parallel to the Main Beach in Santa Cruz (where the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is). Third St. curves around with the San Lorenzo River which empties into the ocean at, of all places, River Mouth!Then on the other side of the river you will find 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Avenues (on the North side of the Yacht Harbor). So there is 1st Street and 1st Avenue, 2nd Street and 2nd Avenue, 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue. The Streets are in the Beach Flats section of Santa Cruz and the Avenues are in the Seabright neighborhood and beach (which was called Castle Beach when I was a teen because there was an actual castle on the beach).

 

  • On the South side of the Yacht Harbor, you will find 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th & 10th Avenues.

 

  • There is no 11th Ave.

 

  • Between 10th and 12th Avenues is one of the Twin Lakes, "Schwan's Lagoon" and Twin Lakes Beach (the other twin lake was Woods Lagoon where the Yacht Harbor is now.

 

 

  • There is no 22nd Avenue, which is what started this entire inquiry!

 

  • Then you have 23rd Avenue through 41st Avenues, which go along East Cliff Drive on the ocean, except there are no 27th, 28th, 29th, 31st or 39th Avenues!

 

 

  • Note that 42nd Avenue through 49th Avenues are behind the Jewel Box, in Capitola (not along the ocean).

 

  • So, in summary, there are no 11th, 22nd, 27th, 28th, 29th, 31st, or 39th Avenues in Santa Cruz.

 

I wish I knew why!

 

Comments (5)

Vicki Bishop GRI - Alabama Real Estate
Coldwell Banker United Realtors® - Bay Minette, AL
I will never understand the street system. We have one street that starts out as one name and changes name two more times before you get to the end of it.
Sep 11, 2007 02:06 PM
Kim Bragg
Bragg & Associates Real Estate, LLC - Augusta, GA
Broker/Owner, ABR, CRS, GRI, ePro

I'm so lost at this point I'm not sure I can find my way home.

Sep 11, 2007 02:06 PM
Deborah Ryman
Santa Cruz, CA
M.A. Feng Shui Services, Santa Cruz County

I am dizzy myself. I tried really hard to copy a map, but could not do it. I really wantd the visual. It is kind of neat to finally have an awareness of the avenues that are missing instead of just a weird sense of it . . . but I would still like to know why.

Thanks for your responses, Vicki and Kim!

Sep 11, 2007 02:12 PM
Anonymous
Monica Bowman

WOW! you're a good and clever writer, and this is something that has bugged to and you have it all nice and clear. loved reading it Deb.i have to pass it on to others! :) MOni

Sep 11, 2007 06:47 PM
#4
Deborah Ryman
Santa Cruz, CA
M.A. Feng Shui Services, Santa Cruz County
Thank you, Moni! I always kind of vaguely was aware that there was "something missing," street-wise, but I never knew exactly what it was. Thanks for your comment!
Sep 12, 2007 03:57 AM